Why are some moms happy and others are not?  Are you happy right now?  Why?  Why not? 

Our family has moved a lot.  5 times in the past 2 years.  That’s an awful lot.  During all the turmoil, I kept finding myself thinking

 But things were happening around me without me truly enjoying them.  The baby learned how to walk.  I took the pictures and video like a “good mom” but I didn’t have the wonderment and the joy that I would have liked to experience.  My elder daughter said goodbye to her friends—friends that were so close they felt like siblings.  I was there---I again took the pictures---but I was thinking about “getting this done quick” so I could go home to pack.

Pack.

I don’t beat myself up for these things.  I made a mistake.  I’m human.

 But, as a human, I have the choice to do things differently.  I can choose to spend more of my day in a blissful/thankful/joyful/HAPPY state then in a sourpuss/frowny/nothing is ever good enough state.

 Because that’s what I would wish for my daughters when they become moms.

 I’m not talking about being the Resolve lady who answers from the other room “That’s Okay!” in a sing-songy voice when her kids say they just spilled grape juice on the carpet.

She must be on crack.  Who in their right mind would do that?  It’s grape juice!  Grape juice stains!

But so does yelling.  And freaking out.  And closing cabinet doors a bit too rough.  And being so mad that you want to throw things or hit.

 Over what?

Grape juice?

On carpet.

Really?

Is that worth it?

But we all do it.  We all get so caught up in the moment we lose our cool, our compassion, our quest to be supermom.

And we crack. 

Those moms who have it “all together”---do they not have babies up at all hours of the night?  Do they not have dishes to wash, a husband who works too much, kids who act ungrateful and the forever-growing Mt. Washmore in their house? 

 Or have they just decided to be happy.

 But I can’t be happy right now.  I’m too fat.  My house is too disorganized.  My kids don’t listen.  They don’t sleep, either.  I have a deadline at work.  My husband doesn’t help.  And he’s losing his hair.  And he never cuts his toenails.  I need new bras.  I have too much laundry to do.  That lady in the grocery store looked at me funny. I haven’t done the baby’s scrapbook and he’s turning 14 next month.

I can’t possibly be happy right now.  I have too much to do.

It’s up to you.

You are the boss of you.

You are in charge of every experience you have today and tomorrow.

You are your child(ren)’s best role model.

 Choose to have fun today.

Choose to love a stranger today.

Choose to be happy.

xoxo

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